Magna Mater

First up, the archangels.

Unlike Christian God the Father, Magna Mater knows to have more than one archangel in case they get tired. Besides, as a lioness, she’s polyamorous anyway. She also knows not to share that one archangel with Allah and Yahweh. She’s very territorial with her pride-mates (romantic, sexual, romantic, platonic, or otherwise) and protective of all their cubs.

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Peridot was her first archangel. His body is as elegant and graceful as he is. He has golden hair, golden wings, and green eyes. He’s good at singing. He can also play the harp and the piano. He tried his best to teach Shimmer an instrument, or anything related to music, but he’s not a musician like his father.

“You are incorrigible!”

He is trying to refine his diamond in the rough. He needs to learn that you can’t turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse. Maybe there’s different types of music Shimmer will vibe with―different types of music Peridot doesn’t know about because he only studies the classics!

Generally speaking, Peridot’s a lover, not a fighter; whereas Shimmer is a fighter, not a lover. However, he’s got plenty of tricks up his sleeve. Every blow he lands with his sword heals him (or whoever wields it).

“I know you prefer offensive and elemental enchantments, but you if you wish to explore Redania proper, you need to think more strategically than that. There is a reason you’ve never been able to defeat me in battle, little one… ‘He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.’ ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War.”

He’s waiting for Shimmer to trust him, which in Shimmer’s combat-obsessed mind, means to surrender. Peridot’s like a billion years old, Shimmer’s not even a hundred. Yes, sometimes, youths can take on their elders, but not that youth against that elder. Not on his own…

“He wants to be a Rowdyruff Boy because nobody listened to him when he was sweet and gentle. He needs to remember who he is: the cutest, sparkliest, little boy you’ve ever seen. Mine! He thinks he’s a Champion of Cleverness? Oh no, that’s me! His father! Daddy can be greedy and stubborn, too. I’m greedily and stubbornly keeping him with me, where he’s safe!!!”

The axe forgets; the tree remembers.

African proverb.

There’s a lot of trust issues here on Gratitude.

“Courage makes heroes, but trust builds friendship.”

Star Wars the Clone Wars Season 2, Episode 17: Bounty Hunters.

Wildfire is a light orange (cream) Burmese cat with three tails and wings made of fire. Warming fire, not burning fire. She doesn’t fly with them, but they’re pretty! She was enslaved in her last life. You shouldn’t need any special powers to figure out how dalyc slaves are treated, you just need thoughts in your head!

The climate of her last home was as inhospitable as the people. She has every right to hate how her last life went, and to not trust anybody ever again. Yet she is still loving and kind.

Unlike some deceivers, her love for her child actually is unconditional. She still loves Wildstar after he slaughtered everyone, including children, trying to save her life. Later, he slaughtered even more people―including his girlfriend and even more children―because a powerful old man all but enslaved him again. Not all slavery is illegal. He could’ve easily made him disappear, put him in debt, or any number of things a politician of his magnitude could do―even beyond re-enslaving him as his apprentice. No one in that Order was looking for a Dark Lord amongst physically weak politicians. The only real defense that Dark Lord had was behaving himself. Some old men are safe, that old man was not. Aside from Wildfire, nobody truly cared about Wildstar. Everybody in that Order still made a child born enslaved call everybody “master”. They meant it to mean “teacher”, but they were so masterful that they couldn’t even figure out the trauma that word would have had for a child like him. All that Dark Lord had to do was speak softly in order to win Wildstar over. Wildstar was thrilled to have a “friend” in him. That Order was too weak and cowardly to adapt their enemy’s new tactics, the child one of their number brought to them, or the mother they left behind. That’s why Wildstar fell to the Dark Side.

He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain.

Sun Tzu, The Art of War.

 Adaptation is the key to survival.

Star Wars the Clone Wars, Season 3, Episode 18: The Citadel. Oh yeah, this is definitely the most appropriate franchise to preach about adapting to the times! /sarcastic. Well, it shows the consequences of not adapting to the times, I guess.

Wildfire claims Wildstar had no father. She might be lying to herself, but I’ll embrace this weirdness. It’s hardly the weirdest weirdness Redanians have embraced. She knows how her last life went. Sometimes, it’s better to forget painful memories than to cling to them. Shimmer wants her to be able to defend herself this time. Not everybody needs to know how to fight!

“That’s very kind of you to offer, but there are plenty of people who can fight for me, including you, your father, and my son. Maybe what you should be doing right now is resting.”

Wildfire’s the gentle parent. Some kids need someone who’s sweet and patient.

She also really loves tinkering and programming. Wildstar wants to teach her even more tinkering and programming skills! She’d also love to learn how to play the piano. She’s quite handy! She’s also great at listening to others.

“Fear not for the future, weep not for the past.”

Star Wars the Clone Wars Season 2, Episode 13: Voyage of Temptation.

Ndiliswa (isiXhosa: Respected One). She’s got 4A black hair in finger coils. Not black like charcoal you’d toss into a grill, fine charcoal used by artists. Other favorite hairstyles include but are not limited to: 1) bun and bangs, 2) pulled back into a ponytail, 3) accessorized with tiger and leopard print silk scarves, 4) pineapples. She also does her hair up in finger waves when she needs a more formal look. Her son likes asymmetrical hairstyles, but she prefers symmetry. She has dark brown eyes. Her skin is dark brown with cool undertones. This mama’s got claws: purple, glowing claws of death! Built by none other than Wildstar. As a former slave, he, too, is furious at Ndiliswa’s ex-husband’s terrible life choices! Quite possibly even more than she is. Peridot had Wildstar go a few rounds with him so he’d stop taking it out on all the tech he’s making for the station. Peridot has to be ready to help her channel her own anger as well as her son’s effectively.

“He was a prince of the most technologically-advanced nation on the planet! Why were we living in that run-down apartment!?! And why did the nation’s shaman, who was spying on him, not tell my brother-in-law ‘You’ve got a nephew and a sister-in-law’? And more importantly, so does your wife!'”

When you pray, move your feet.

African proverb.

She doesn’t care if Nkosana’s an adult by the way.

“You’re my baby forever whether you like it or not!”

That’s the one thing her and Peridot agree on.

“Mar’e!” (At last! ― a Mandalorian expression of relief).

Ndiliswa died wrongfully imprisoned and nameless [1] [2]. Unlike some storytellers, her not having a name had a point. She has a name now! She likely would’ve had a more “white-passing” name than the one I’ve given her, but I don’t care; she’s African American whether racists like it or not! Everyone’s forgotten that America’s a melting pot [1]. “Give me your tired, your poor”; everybody wants the vigorous and the rich instead [1] [2]. This is why I side with ideals, not truth [1]. The truth sucks! And is often obscured by people with heavily, intentionally biased points of view―biased in order to do harm, not to have fun like me.

A speaker of truth has no friends.

African proverb.

Originally, I was going to name her Amaka (Igbo. Queen of ravishing beauty who is spontaneous and versatile by nature). Ndiliswa is a better name for her. “I don’t need to be a queen, I just need to be respected!” Besides, Nkosana worships her like a queen anyway. He’s an even bigger mama’s boy than Fëanor!

All I know about Black culture off the top of my head is that Black hair is like most cats: it hates water; and never go to a cop, find a mom. Not every single mom is automatically safe, but generally speaking, moms will act in the best interest of any child who’s in danger, not just their own. Cops are the security forces in America. They kill everything, including children and animals! They love killing Black children the most―even when they’re playing in their own yards, with toys that couldn’t possibly be mistaken for weapons! And they get away with it too. Even my own parents claim “we’ve done so much for them”. We haven’t done enough!

Those who enforce the law must obey the law.

Star Wars the Clone Wars, Season 3, Episode 6: The Academy [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6].

Evil is not born, it is taught.

Star Wars the Clone Wars, Season 3, Episode 13: Monster. The devil doesn’t need to prowl the earth anymore, there are plenty of wolves in sheep’s clothing doing his dirty work for him [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6].

Some kids need a parent who’s sweet and gentle, but some kids need a champion of tough. And sometimes, so do adults.

“You may be refined, Peridot, but you don’t know how to cook! That’s a more important thing we need to teach your son than ‘strategies’ and ‘surrender’. Christ almighty, you have strange priorities! Maybe the reason he’s always fighting all the time is because that’s all you know how to teach him!”

Sometimes you have to be a lion to be the lamb you really are.

African proverb.

Another reason we need to be renamed Daluchi is because Peridot’s no longer in charge of cooking!

“Of course he doesn’t know how to cook! White people conquered the entire planet, yet refuse to use any of the spices! You’re dining with flavor now! Go set the table!”

Ndiliswa does appreciate the granite counter tops, though.

Wildfire, who was the only other decent cook around here, is eager to learn whatever Ndiliswa is willing to teach her. Cooking’s quite a science, too [1]. It’s not a very well respected one because it’s considered “women’s work”. But preparing nutritious and delicious food isn’t easy―especially for more than one person. Hell, I have trouble making pancakes. However, I’m better at baking than cooking. Baking involves exact measurements and times. Cooking is more “to taste” or “when the meat is pink enough”.

“Choose what is right, not what is easy.”

Star Wars the Clone Wars Season 2, Episode 18: The Zillo Beast.

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